Devils Garden Trail - 6.75 Miles Round-Trip

Those seeking a quintessential Arches National Park experience will find it along the Devils Garden Trail: seven distinct arches, lengthy slickrock benches, panoramic views and a rich ecological mix highlight this enjoyable hike through a visually stunning landscape.

The Devils Garden Trail begins on a groomed path amid impressive rock formations, reaching a spur for Tunnel Arch and Pine Arch in .35 miles. The spur drops gently to a split - turn left for Pine and right for Tunnel. Tunnel Arch enjoys favorable morning light, though Pine Arch is arguably the more interesting of the two.

Back on the main trail you’ll glide easily to several good viewpoints for Landscape Arch and the Primitive Loop Trail junction (1.35 miles : 5,167’). Bear left to remain on the Devils Garden Trail. Back on the main trail you’ll glide easily to several good viewpoints for Landscape Arch near the Primitive Loop Trail junction (1.35 miles : 5,167’). Bear left to remain on the Devils Garden Trail. At 290.1' across Landscape Arch is thought to be the longest rock span in the world, followed closely by Kolob Arch in Zion National Park (287.4’). This lead is considered tenuous, as Landscape Arch is very near the end of its lifecycle.

The trail climbs in earnest from Landscape Arch over varied terrain; some moderate scrambling, rock hopping and attention to cairns are now required. The trail soon squeezes over the remains of a crumbled slot once distinguished by Wall Arch (1.65 miles : 5,242’). Some 33' high and 71'across, it ranked 12th in size among the Park's estimated 2,000 arches before succumbing to gravity, erosion and stress fractures sometime during the night between August 4th - August 5th 2008.

At 1.85 miles you’ll reach the spur for Partition Arch (.2 miles : 5382) and Navajo Arch (.3 miles : 5,395’). A worthwhile excursion, the spurs to each pass underneath the respective arches and permit up-close examination. The former yields sweeping easterly views through its archway, while the latter hides an interesting shaded alcove. Both are located on an elevated, heavily vegetated plateau. Arches receives less than 14 inches of rain per year, making this robust ecological community a special but delicate creation.

Once back at the Partition-Navajo Arch junction (2.75 miles of total hiking to this point), the main trail undulates through sand and slickrock, steeply climbing to the spine of a fin at 3.05 miles (5,425’). The trail rides the fin-top with memorable, panoramic views across Salt Valley. Cairns lead down the fin-top, hopping off at the Black Arch overlook (3.2 miles : 5,396’). While the arch itself is at a distance, it sits in a dramatic arrangement of spires, canyons and fins.

An obscured path continues to the Double O Arch spur - Dark Angel - Primitive Loop Trail junction (3.6 miles : 5,379’). From it, a sandy spur stetches to the base of Double O Arch (3.65 miles : 5,398’). Double O Arch is named so for the 'stacking' of two arches seemingly atop one another. Photographers will have to improvise a bit for a good look when approaching from the east, however it’s easily viewed and best lit in the afternoon on the main trail’s final segment to Dark Angel.

From this final junction, The Devils Garden Trail drops down, then rises through a brushy plateau crowned by Dark Angel (4.15 miles : 5,426’) - a towering 150' monolith at the trail's most northern point. The high slickrock bench from which Dark Angel rises affords sensational westerly views of Salt Valley and the Klondike Bluffs. Fewer people venture out to see Dark Angel, making it an ideal place to contemplate this idyllic landscape before retracing your steps to the trailhead.